Pub2Pub in the Americas!
We check in with the Pub2Pub Expedition as it heads towards to South America...
Welcome indeed...
So what issues have plagued the Chimaera so far? Surprisingly few, given the reputation these Wheeler-era TVRs harbour. Breakdowns? None. Yep, that surprised us too. The car has suffered a few of those small TVR-traditional niggles which constitute either character or flaws, depending on your viewpoint, but other than a mildly worrying spot of clutch wear, nothing major has gone wrong... yet.
The reliability is even more surprising when you consider what the TVR has gone through in the past few months. Offroading in Death Valley, at 50°C ambient? Yep, tick. Slaloming the tyre-pounding potholes and vertiginous speed bumps of Guatemala's backroads? No problem. Dodging errant motorists in Mexico, where anyone can buy a driving licence without taking a test? A few close shaves apart, the Chimaera has taken it in its stride. Running the quarter mile against a Dodge Charger at Amarillo Dragway in Texas? Smashed out without breaking a sweat. And 600 mile, roof-down days dodging pick-ups on the US interstates? According to the team, these weren't too tough actually, given the grand touring credentials of these '90s TVRs.
So what's next for Pub2Pub? With 14,500 miles complete, the expedition is well over halfway to its ultimate goal - the world's southernmost licensed premises, in Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia. They're aiming to be there in January, to raise a glass to the brand's future. And we'll be here to let you know how they get on!
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Previous updates:
Pub2Pub intro
6,000 miles in...
Pub2Pub would like to thank the expedition's partners - who include
Dartmoor Brewery,
Dewerstone Lifestyle Clothing (),
Drivetribe
Gaz Shocks
TVR Car Club
I really must get out more.
As a picture is worth a thousand words, here's the ground we've covered so far:
The hard-earned red dots are now behind us; the potentially traumatic blue dots are still to come..
And if you're interested, there's more photos and info on the TVR's gallivanting over at https://www.facebook.com/Pub2PubExpedition/
Great progress and so pleased no major issues! Just goes to show if use these toys they work and give so much joy!!
Hope to catch you for that beer Ben in Playa Gigante!
Can't be many Chims in Guatemala.
The Mustang guys were pretty clued up actually; they knew the brand and recognised the Chim as part of it. They're kinda the exception, however; the initial reaction of most of the folk we meet is,
80% Nice Porsche
15% Nice MG
5% Is that a TVR? I saw them on Top Gear once...
Sent DM
Also don't forget to stop at the Flor de Caña distillery north of Leon!!
Cheers
Sent DM
Also don't forget to stop at the Flor de Caña distillery north of Leon!!
Cheers
We've just made an against-the-clock 24 hr transit of El Salvador, and are in Honduras now. Heading to Grenada this evening, where the Dodge Charger guys currently are, then the plan depends on the final arrangements for shipping the TVR to Colombia. Hopefully we'll catch you for that beer though!
Ben
In other news, we're currently at the Hotel Brio, in Playa Gigante, Nicaragua, which is owned by Adam - a fellow PHer, who goes by the name of beach kid on here.
It's so cool that even in the farthest corners of Central America, these forums can bring like-minded people together...
We encountered a gathering of about 30 Mustangs in Morelia, Mexico, a few weeks earlier too. They seem to be the classic of choice down here in Central America.
Low-slung sports cars are understandably rather thin on the ground given the roads around here, though we did spot a Corvette C3 in Guatemala too...
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